Crime
Enemy within: How blood-thirsty house helps kill bosses in cold blood
Several housemaids employed to assist with household chores have increasingly posed significant risks to their employers. Reports of maids physically and sexually abusing children, poisoning, and even murdering their employers have become alarmingly common. GODFREY GEORGE investigates this troubling trend, uncovering the underlying causes and the impact on families
“Why would you urinate in my teacup? Is there no toilet in your room? Why are you this wicked?” thundered Aisha’s madam, her voice quivering with anger and disbelief.
The scene, captured in a viral video that trended on July 7, 2024, showed a woman in Abuja confronting her young housemaid after discovering the shocking act.
The maid, a girl in her teens, had been caught on CCTV urinating into her madam’s teacup.
After performing the disgusting act, she nonchalantly poured the contents into the kitchen sink and placed the mug back on the rack.
The CCTV footage didn’t end there. On another occasion, the maid was seen sneaking into the kitchen, stuffing various food items—milk, salt, rice, spaghetti, and more—into a black bag, which she then hid under a table.
The video further revealed her opening the fridge, using her bare hands to eat stored food directly from the plates, and then returning the remnants to the fridge.
After each act, she would wipe her hands on her dress and proceed with her duties as if nothing had happened.
When confronted by her madam, the maid broke down in tears, pleading desperately for forgiveness.
“Please, forgive me. I beg you in Allah’s name. I won’t do it again. Please, forgive me,” she sobbed, her voice trembling.
The madam, her patience and trust shattered, remained resolute.
“You will be taken to the police station,” she declared, her voice firm despite the emotional turmoil evident on her face.
The incident, highlighted by the raw footage and the emotional confrontation, underscores the complex dynamics and the breach of trust that can occur between employers and their domestic staff.
Reacting to the video, a Nairaland user, Point Zerom, said, “The worst people to keep in your home are strangers called maids.
“You can never satisfy them, even if you punish her together with your own children, she’ll view her punishment as hatred and wickedness towards her.
“The moment you finally send her home, you’ll be shocked at what she’ll tell people that you did to her, including raping or trying to rape her.”
Another user, Omo Awoke, said it did not seem like the maid in the video meant any harm.
“She is just lazy and dirty. She used the mug to urinate, emptied it in the sink, and washed it. But seriously, some people in third-world countries are a disaster to humanity.
“Humanity does not deserve poverty, as poverty causes oppression and human rights to be trampled upon. I imagine who you would be in the United States/United Kingdom/Canada to hire a full-time housemaid.
“If you can afford one, she will be well-paid and will know her rights. You can’t oppress anybody cheaply like that, no matter who you are.
“She’s your staff, and if she does something wrong, the best thing to do is to call the police to settle the matter, not harass her. I hope Africa will work someday and poverty and illiteracy will end.”
Another user, Elevation D, speaking, noted that the young maid was lazy and dirty.
“That was an act of laziness or dirtiness. If that was her own mug, would she urinate in it, wash it, and keep it as if nothing was wrong? Why not take her bath in the kitchen or poop inside the mug?
“She definitely knew what she was doing and thought she could get away with that irresponsible act. Thank God for CCTV. It has saved many families from the evil intentions of too many so-called housemaids. I do not understand the Hausa language, but the image was enough to form my opinion that the girl was purely wicked with such an act.
“Did you not notice that the cup was not washed with soap? She simply rinsed it with water and placed it on the table. She deserved to be first beaten and then returned to wherever she was brought from.”
He further wrote, “It’s a global issue, and families must remain vigilant. What started as urinating in a cup could have escalated to something far worse. John believed that people must pray to avoid accommodating such evil-minded individuals in their homes. Families must be cautious, aware, and proactive in protecting their loved ones from potential harm.”
A growing menace
In recent times, the role of housemaids in Nigerian homes has come under intense scrutiny due to a rising tide of alarming incidents.
Reports of maids physically and sexually abusing children, poisoning, and even murdering their employers have become disturbingly frequent.
This trend has not only instilled fear among families but also highlighted the critical need for stringent vetting and monitoring of domestic workers.
The headlines paint a grim picture: housemaids trusted to care for children and manage household chores have been implicated in heinous acts. These incidents reveal a dark side of domestic work that has long been overlooked.
The stories often begin with a desperate need for help. Families, burdened by work and other commitments, seek domestic workers to ease their load.
However, beneath the surface of this seemingly simple arrangement lies a complex web of deceit and danger. Maids, some with hidden grudges or sinister motives, infiltrate homes under the guise of assistance.
The twists in these tales often involve a sudden change in the maid’s behaviour, leading to catastrophic consequences.
Stealing without mercy
No one believed that 22-year-old Odiong Emmanuel was capable of theft.
He had been living with the Attonis since he was 16. He was originally employed to work as a fuel attendant at a fuel stand in the Bonny Island Local Government Area of Rivers State.
His family had come to drop him off with Mr Fidelis Attoni and his wife, Comfort, to ‘assist with housework’.
“We saw how things were going and decided that we should let him work as the chief attendant in my husband’s fuel stand. He was living with us. We gave him an en suite apartment in our home, but he eats from my kitchen.
“We placed him on a salary of N30, 000 and we still provided clothes for him and also sent money to his parents. What we never knew was that he was stealing from us,” Comfort told our correspondent.
A few years down the line, Mrs Comfort said she noticed that Odiong was becoming too defensive and didn’t want anyone to get into his room.
“We would ask him to wash the cars, but he wouldn’t do it. He started bringing women to our home and it was becoming really uncomfortable for my kids and me. I told my husband who was always away but he said I was overreacting. So, I let it be.
“In 2018, this boy brought a new phone to the living room to charge. We asked him who owned it; he said it was one of his friends who gave it to him. After our investigation, we found out the phone belonged to him. We dug further and found out he had rented a house in the area and had fully furnished the place with a TV, an air conditioner and a full sofa set. He also lodged two girls from the neighbourhood there. One was already pregnant for him as I learnt. Her mother had been searching for her for weeks not knowing she had gone to live with him in his new location.
“I didn’t know how to approach the matter. I just called my husband and told him. I also asked that he audited his account. What we found out will shock you. This guy used to make a daily contribution of N2000 in three places.
“His account statement showed he always sent N50,000 every week to a particular account number, believed to be that of a family member of his. This guy has been stealing from my husband and has started a building in his village. I cannot even believe it,” she said.
The woman said when Odiong was confronted; he first lied about it and was acting like the victim until her husband involved the police.
“The auditor we hired had given us all the documents that showed the wreckage he had done for more than the four years or so he lived with us.
“This boy just wanted to ruin my husband’s business. He would make N500,000 and he would write N50,000. The guy was a clear thief.
“My husband would be lamenting that the business was not making any profit and we were losing money every time. We never knew this boy was stealing from us daily and enriching himself,” she said.
“We involved the police who began an investigation, and the things we found out were heartbreaking. After some time, my husband said we should withdraw the case. We did and we called his people and sent him back to them.
“To date, I have not been able to get over it. My family decided that whoever was coming to work for us would stay in their own homes and come from there and we wouldn’t have any affiliation with them other than paying them their salaries.”
When our correspondent reached out to Odiong on Wednesday, he said he did not steal anything from the Attonis.
“Don’t listen to them. I didn’t steal from them. They expected me to look tattered because I was working for them. They are lying against me. They thought if they sacked me, I would be homeless. I am not homeless. I am fine and I will rise again,” he said.
Asked if he was into any daily saving scheme, he said, “That one is not their business. Bros, I didn’t do anything to those people. They were accusing me of sleeping with their daughter. I did not touch that girl.”
Our correspondent reached out to the Attonis to share Odiong’s reaction, stressing the issue of sexual intercourse with their daughter.
Mrs Attoni, responding angrily, said, “That boy wants us to send him to prison. If he dares us, we will send him to prison.”
Mrs Comfort said her husband enrolled Odiong in a sandwich programme with a college of education based in Enugu that ran a satellite programme in the area and was footing the bills.
According to her, he was in his third year, studying social studies education.
“We celebrate his birthday. We give him money for Christmas and send food and money to his family every month together with the salary we pay him. He enters my kitchen and dishes his own meals. He cooks what he wants. He sleeps in my children’s rooms. I treat him as my own son. How can he be that wicked to us?” she queried.
On Thursday, Odiong called back and asked this reporter to help beg the Attonis for forgiveness, saying that he did not do it all alone.
He mentioned some names which have been shared with the Attonis who have promised to take the matter up with the police and their lawyers.
Ran off with employer’s kids
In 2016, Mr Suliyat Azeez, a resident of Okokomaiko, Lagos, hired Grace as a home-help to assist with household chores and look after her two young children, six-year-old Kafaya and four-year-old Farouk.
Grace, who had recently started working for the Azeezs, perpetrated the abduction barely 24 hours into her employment.
The abduction unfolded when Grace, seemingly under the guise of buying food for the children, took Kafaya and Farouk out of the home of the Azeezs and did not return.
Upon discovering that her children were missing, Mrs Azeez promptly reported the incident to the police, triggering an immediate search and investigation.
The case quickly garnered significant public and media attention due to its shocking nature and the vulnerability of the abducted children.
It raised concerns and questions about Grace’s intentions and background, as well as the risks associated with employing domestic staff without thorough background checks or safeguards.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Nigerian Police Force, launched a widespread search operation to locate Grace and safely recover Kafaya and Farouk.
Details regarding the eventual recovery of Kafaya and Farouk or the apprehension of Grace are not extensively documented in public records. However, the Nigeria Police found the children and arrested the perpetrator who said she was going to sell the children for a fee.
Kidnapped kids, used them for begging
In the same year, there was another unsettling case – Asmau’s. Asmau, a housemaid, exploited the trust of her employer, Hawau, to kidnap her two children, six-year-old Amina and seven-year-old Rukayya, from Ogun State and subjected them to a life of begging in Lagos.
Hawau had employed Asmau to help with household chores and care for her children, Amina and Rukayya.
Trusting her housemaid, Hawau sent the children with Asmau to their grandparents in Lagos, believing they would be safe and cared for.
However, Asmau had different intentions. Instead of taking the children to their grandparents, she took them to Lagos and used them to beg for alms on the streets.
The children, dressed in tattered clothes, were subjected to harsh conditions.
Asmau forced them to beg, and any resistance or display of emotion was met with beatings.
The young girls, Amina and Rukayya, endured unimaginable hardship as they navigated the dangerous streets of Lagos, far from the safety of their homes and the comfort of their families.
Hawau’s nightmare began when she learned that her children were not with their grandparents as expected.
Frantic and desperate, she reported the incident to the authorities, sparking a search for Asmau and the missing children.
The case drew significant attention, highlighting the perils faced by children who fall into the hands of unscrupulous individuals.
Law enforcement agencies and child welfare organizations in Lagos collaborated to locate Amina and Rukayya.
The search efforts involved appeals to the public for information and a thorough investigation into the whereabouts of Asmau.
The community rallied together, driven by the hope of finding the innocent children and bringing them back to safety.
The rescue of Amina and Rukayya was a moment of relief and joy for their family and the community. However, the trauma they experienced left a lasting impact.
Nanny kidnaps three-year-old in FCT
In June 2023, in Abuja, a nanny who was said to have abducted her employer’s three-year-old son was arrested alongside her accomplices.
The nanny was said to have disappeared with the child in the Gwarimpa area of the FCT that weekend.
In an update on Thursday morning, July 13, the boy’s uncle, Jesse Dan Yusuf, confirmed that the suspected kidnappers have been arrested and the child rescued.
He wrote, “On Saturday, my three-year-old nephew was kidnapped by his nanny. The kidnappers called and threatened us to pay a ransom.
“We’ve been praying and trusting God. God showed up. My nephew is home, safe and sound and the perpetrators were caught too. Please, dance with me!”
Narrow escape
In another startling incident that unfolded in Ondo State, Mr Nasiru Akinlosotu, a 63-year-old former medicine store operator, narrowly escaped death by the grace of providence.
Mary Akinnifesi, a primary four pupil and the family’s housemaid had harboured a sinister plot against her master to kill him off over a dispute.
She decided to poison Akinlosotu’s meal with rat poison, an action that would have led to tragic consequences for his family.
The motive behind such a drastic measure from a young girl left both the victim’s family and the police baffled.
The trigger was a simple rebuke for spilling water in the living room the night before she was directed to prepare dinner by Sikirat, Akinlosotu’s wife.
Sikirat, a primary school teacher who also managed a shop after school hours, had no inkling of the brewing malice in their home.
Unaware of the grudge Mary held against her husband, she instructed the maid to prepare beans for dinner and serve them to Akinlosotu.
Sensing an opportunity for revenge, Mary allegedly decided to lace the meal with rat poison that had been purchased to deal with a rodent problem.
For two years, Mary had lived with the Akinlosotu family without displaying any malicious tendencies, making her sudden act all the more shocking.
That evening, Akinlosotu, weary and hungry, returned home and asked for his meal almost immediately.
The poisoned food was promptly served by Mary, and as he began to mix the beans, he noticed an unusual smell emanating from the dish. Despite this, he took a spoonful, only to spit it out immediately due to the awful taste.
Suspicious of the unusual odour and taste, Akinlosotu summoned Mary and questioned her about the meal.
Initially, she lied, claiming she had only added spices to enhance the aroma. Dissatisfied with her explanation, Akinlosotu pressed further, sensing something was amiss.
After much pressure, Mary confessed to her heinous act, admitting she had crushed rat poison into his portion of the food.
The revelation prompted Akinlosotu to raise the alarm, inviting neighbours to witness the shocking confession.
However, despite the gravity of the situation, Akinlosotu decided not to press charges against Mary.
Femi Joseph, the then-spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, confirmed that Mr Akinlosotu had formally applied to withdraw his complaint.
Beninoise cook poisons three, steals N51m
In March 2023, the Police at the Ikoyi Division, Ikoyi, Lagos, arrested a cook from the Benin Republic, 35-year-old Amoussou Wilfred.
He was charged before a Lagos Magistrates’ Court for allegedly administering poisonous substances into the food he prepared for his employer, 80-year-old Musibau Fashanu; his wife, Jumoke, and their three domestic servants which led them to fall into a coma for about five days.
As they battled for their lives, the cook was said to have used the opportunity to steal the couple’s properties worth N51m and fled.
The police alleged that Wilfred also poisoned the food he prepared for the security man, Friday Agoh; the house help, Theresa Odite, and the nanny, Margaret Dewene, which led them to also fall asleep during which the cook carted away his employer’s property such as five android phones valued at N1.9m; assorted gold jewellery, wrist watches, laptops and money all valued at N51m.
The police further alleged that when the complainants recovered from the coma, they reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Ikoyi Division, Ikoyi, Lagos who swiftly directed his crack team to fish out the defendant.
The team swung into action and after days of intelligence gathering tracked the defendant to a hideout in Lagos and arrested him.
Wilfred was charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island, Lagos on a seven-count charge bordering on attempted murder and stealing.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs Gbajumo Ayoku granted him N1m bail with two sureties in like sum.
Ayoku adjourned the case till 24 April 2023 for mention and ordered that the defendant be detained at the Ikoyi correctional facility till he can perfect the bail conditions.
Killer maids
On October 31, 2023, the Niger State Police Command arrested 14-year-old Joy Afekafez, over the murder of Funmilola Adefolalu, a lecturer at the Federal University of Technology, Minna.
Miss Afekafez was the housemaid of the slain lecturer.
The deceased was killed at her residence in the Gbaiko Area of Minna on Sunday.
A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Wasiu Abiodun, said the suspect was arrested on Monday at about 9 pm at a residence within the Gbeganu area of Minna for culpable homicide.
Mr Abiodun alleged that during interrogation, the suspect confessed that she worked as the deceased’s housemaid for about three weeks and she was laid off for an undisclosed misdeed.
He further alleged that after the suspect was laid off, she met her classmates called Walex and Smart, narrated her ordeal to them and conspired to attack the lecturer at her residence.
“They went to the residence on Saturday at about 4 pm with a motorcycle and she surfaced at the gate, while the lecturer opened the gate for her.
“Walex and Smart later entered, beat the deceased, hit her head with a stool and stabbed her with a knife brought by Walex while Smart took another knife from the kitchen, and stabbed her ‘severally’.
“She said the deceased phone and laptop were taken away, while they also removed the battery of the vehicle parked in the compound and fled the scene,” Mr Abiodun said.
Mr Abiodun further explained that on Sunday some friends and Church members visited the deceased‘s residence in Gbaiko Area of Minna because she could not be reached on the phone.
Maid to face hangmen for killing ex-gov Igbinedion’s mother
In March 2023, an Edo State High court, hordered a maid, Dominion Okoro, to die by hanging for killing Madam Maria Oredola Igbinedion, mother of former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion.
The 25-year-old convict murdered the deceased, who was her Madam with a stool with intent to rob her of the sum of N100,000 on December 1, 2021, at her residence in Ugbor Community, Oredo Local Government Area of the state.
The trial Judge, Justice Efe Ikponmwoba, who gave the verdict on Monday, held that the convict, after committing the act, also used cotton wool to stoke the nose of the deceased and thereafter, called a cab man to escape from the house early the following morning.
The convict confessed to the police that she bought Indian hemp, which she used in preparing meals for the deceased to weaken and kill her without a struggle, according to the court.
The judge, therefore, held that with the evidence of the pathologist on the cause of death, evidence of other prosecution witnesses in addition to the convict’s confessional statement, it was safe for the court to send the convict to the gallows.
In the case of Patience Okoro, elder sister of the convict in the case, the Court noted that the only evidence linking her with the case was that Dominion called her to inform her after committing the act.
Patience was, therefore, discharged and acquitted of the charge of the offence of accessory after murder, accordingly.
PUNCH
The United States has said Nigeria has yet to make sufficient progress in addressing attacks on Christian communities, warning that the country’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) should remain in place.
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, stated this while responding to questions from US Congressman Riley Moore during a congressional hearing on violence in Nigeria on Thursday.
Moore questioned the Nigerian government’s efforts to dismantle militia strongholds and kidnapping camps in the Middle Belt, particularly in Benue and Plateau states.
He also demanded explanations for the exclusion of Benue and Plateau from the 10 states covered by Nigeria’s new forest guard initiative, despite persistent attacks in the areas.
The congressman further expressed concern that 1,000 presidentially approved forest guards for Plateau State had yet to be deployed.
Moore maintained that the US should not remove Nigeria from the CPC list, arguing that the country had not done enough to address the violence.
“Before you answer that, we cannot take this CPC designation off of this country. They have not done enough,” he said.
Responding, Garcia acknowledged that Nigeria had not made sufficient progress but maintained that the government was taking steps to address the concerns, although the measures had yet to produce the desired results.
“I think we would agree, as Under Secretary Hooker stated, after our CPC meeting that progress has not been there, but that doesn’t mean that Nigeria is dismissing concerns, and it doesn’t mean that they’re not taking actions, but it does mean that it hasn’t had an impact to this point,” Garcia said.
He identified the establishment of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group as an important step towards ensuring accountability, noting that the platform would provide a framework for monitoring Nigeria’s commitments and assessing their implementation.
Garcia also acknowledged US-supported counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin but noted that such efforts had not necessarily addressed the activities of Fulani militants operating across the Middle Belt.
“I would have to characterise the Nigerians’ placement at this point as in building capacity. And that capacity is not deployed, is not being effective yet, and is not moving fast enough, as far as I’m concerned. But we do see a seriousness, and a deployment underway with the Nigerian government,” he said.
In his prepared testimony, Garcia said President Donald Trump’s administration had prioritised the persecution of Christians in Nigeria since the country was redesignated a Country of Particular Concern on October 31, 2025.
He noted that attacks had continued despite diplomatic engagements, citing an attack on a Christian community in Kaduna State on July 27 and killings in Plateau State in August and September.
“Unfortunately, the violence has not stopped,” Garcia said, describing the attacks as an ongoing atrocity.
According to him, the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, which held its inaugural meeting in Abuja in January and another meeting in Washington in August, had been engaging the Nigerian government on improved security deployments in vulnerable Middle Belt communities, faster responses to early warnings and accountability for perpetrators.
He added that Washington had provided training and equipment to police units responsible for protecting vulnerable communities through its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
The US had also expanded biometric information-sharing with Nigeria to help identify and prosecute perpetrators and engaged Nigerian financial institutions on measures to disrupt terrorist financing networks allegedly funding attacks on churches.
Garcia further disclosed that US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, had raised concerns about civilian casualties, the safe and voluntary return of internally displaced persons and transparency in humanitarian aid delivery during the Joint Working Group’s second meeting.
However, he acknowledged that Nigeria’s security architecture remained stretched, while judicial access to some parts of the Middle Belt remained limited.
Garcia said the US would continue to deploy diplomatic engagements, the CPC designation and targeted security cooperation to press for the protection of Christian communities and accountability for those responsible for attacks.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Federal Government has consistently rejected allegations of a Christian genocide or systematic religious persecution, maintaining that the country’s security challenges are driven by broader issues, including terrorism, banditry, communal violence and resource conflicts, which affect citizens of different religious backgrounds.
Couple Sentenced To Five Years In Prison Each For Attempting To Sell One-Year-Old So
A Nigerian couple have been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each for attempting to sell their one-year-old son for exploitation in Cross River State.
The couple, identified as 28-year-old Emmanuel Okechukwu Ogbodo and 22-year-old Peace Ufeabuchi Nnamonu, were convicted by the Federal High Court in Calabar after pleading guilty to conspiracy and attempted child trafficking.
The convicts were sentenced on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, after they were arraigned on November 3, 2026, on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and attempted child trafficking.
The charges were brought under Sections 27 and 29 of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015.
Delivering judgment, Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie sentenced each defendant to five years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and two and a half years for attempted child trafficking.
However, the court ordered that the sentences should run concurrently, meaning the couple will each spend a total of five years in prison rather than serve the sentences consecutively.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which announced the conviction in statements shared on its Facebook and X accounts, said the prison terms would take effect from the date of the couple’s arrest.
NAPTIP condemned the couple’s actions and reiterated its commitment to prosecuting human trafficking offences and protecting vulnerable persons, particularly children.
The agency also urged members of the public to report suspected cases of child trafficking to the appropriate authorities.
Six fresh graduates of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), have reportedly been found dead in an apartment around the Hilltop area of the university community in Enugu State.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday morning, has thrown the university community into mourning and sparked panic among residents and students.
According to a report by Daily Post, the victims, comprising five females and one male, were said to have graduated on Wednesday, a day before their bodies were discovered.
Their graduation celebration has reportedly turned into tragedy, with the circumstances surrounding their deaths yet to be established.
Efforts to reach the Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe, for confirmation were unsuccessful, as calls put through to his telephone were not answered.
Meanwhile, anxiety has gripped the Hilltop area and the wider university community, with students and residents seeking answers over the tragic incident.
As of the time of filing this report, the police had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Security agencies have launched a manhunt for two convicted inmates who escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Okene, Kogi State.
The Nigerian Correctional Service confirmed the incident, which reportedly occurred on Sunday, November 8, 2026, saying efforts were underway in collaboration with other security agencies to recapture the fleeing inmates.
The Service’s Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent of Corrections Jane Osuji, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday.
According to Osuji, the Controller-General of Corrections has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident to establish the circumstances surrounding the escape and identify any possible security breaches.
She explained that the investigation would examine potential lapses in the facility’s security arrangements and determine appropriate measures to prevent a recurrence.
The correctional authorities assured members of the public that all necessary steps were being taken to track down the escapees and return them to custody.
The Service also pledged to provide further updates as verified information emerges from the ongoing investigation.
The incident comes weeks after an awaiting-trial inmate escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Auchi, Edo State, where he was being held over allegations of conspiracy and stealing.
Saudi Arabia has executed five Ethiopian nationals convicted of smuggling hashish into the kingdom, bringing the number of executions carried out in the country this year to 205.
The Saudi Interior Ministry announced the executions on Thursday, November 5, 2026, saying the five men were found guilty of participating in the smuggling of hashish into the country.
According to a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency, the executions were carried out in the Asir region in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The latest executions bring to 32 the number of Ethiopian nationals put to death in Saudi Arabia in 2026, making Ethiopians the largest foreign nationality among those executed this year.
Five Ethiopians were reportedly executed in June, while another five were put to death in July over similar drug-related offences.
The latest development comes amid growing international concern over Saudi Arabia’s increasing use of capital punishment, particularly against foreign nationals convicted of drug-related offences.
Human Rights Watch (HRW), in a report published in July, warned that at least 79 Ethiopian nationals remained at imminent risk of execution over similar charges.
The rights organisation also raised concerns about alleged violations of fair trial guarantees, including inadequate access to legal representation and interpretation services for some Ethiopian migrants facing capital punishment.
Saudi Arabia recorded 356 executions in 2025, its highest annual figure on record.
Thousands of Ethiopians live and work in Saudi Arabia, many of whom migrate in search of employment through the dangerous Eastern Route connecting the Horn of Africa to the oil-rich kingdom through Yemen.
The route exposes migrants to serious security and humanitarian risks during their journey.
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